The Lost Chronicles of SoWriter

Dearest blog readers, you are probably wondering where I have been all this time. A couple weeks have gone by and the SoWriter blog has come to a standstill. Here’s the best way I can explain my absence:

Some days I would come home from work exhausted. I would lie down on the couch for a few minutes, fall asleep, and wake up at midnight.  

Then there were the days I got lost in my book. I spent a couple hours in Barnes and Noble again and found three new books to add to my library.

And of course there were many days that I spent thinking up new recipes, tied up in the kitchen by my apron. 

I’ve made it back from those lost days, eager to write you about what’s going on, especially this weekend. It’s a three day respite from work, one I have not experienced since Memorial Day. This morning, faced with three whole days to fill up, I started planning out my weekly dinner menu. I got out my new cookbook and I strategically planned a few meals centered on a few key ingredients. I wanted to make new dishes, not spend a lot of money, and utilize the food items in different dishes instead of just one. 

I kicked off Labor Day by doing a few chores to tidy up my apartment. I opened up the windows and the sliding door in the living room. I love this time of year. The air is a crisp, cool, calm that feels pleasant on your skin. The breeze blows in through your window and dances with your curtains. My cats, looking out the open window, become entranced. They wait all summer for this opportunity, so it’s hard to peel them away. With the nice weather, I got to go for a mid-afternoon walk. If this were a few weeks earlier it would be too humid to risk a walk after 10am.

I started using a new app I found on my phone for tracking distance and time for multiple outdoor activities, including walking. Eventually I would like to get a sport watch to make my walks a lighter effort. For the time being my phone’s app is doing the trick. I downloaded the Endomondo app and it tracks my distance, speed, and time. It has a lady’s voice yell out, “go” and alerts me when I’ve hit a mile. 

Today’s tracking has been my best so far with 1.59 miles walked in less than 30 minutes!

The running book I bought is supposed to help me turn my walking into running. I’ve been told that running really helps you lose weight and tone up. I added some exercises for my arms with weights and some floor exercises for strengthening. 

Nala even joined in to do some floor exercises.

When I finished sweating it out to my ipod tunes, I showered and got ready to go grocery shopping. At this point it was 5pm and way past lunchtime but nowhere near dinner time, especially not with the meal plans I had dreamed up. I had a banana hanging out on my counter that had turned really brown, the kind of brown that would make Katie’s face scrunch up. She only eats the green ones, no joke. When bananas are really ripe, as this one was, they are perfect for smoothies or desserts. I was in need of a protein boost after all the exercising today. So, I poured 2 cups of unsweetened soymilk in my blender. I added the banana and a handful of frozen berries I had on hand. The results were a luscious, lavender smoothie. I paired it with half a peanut butter sandwich and headed out the door.

By the time I got back from grocery shopping, it was 7:30pm. I had a skype date planned with Katie and some other family members at 9pm so I had to get moving on my cooking. I threw on my apron and got to work. I needed to make a veggie stock for tonight’s rice and Monday’s Veggie pot pies (oh yes I am!). 

I used the recipe from my new cookbook.

It called for a bunch of earthy/rooty (probably not a word, but I'm going to use it anyways) type of vegetables and herbs. I rinsed them in Veggie wash and cut them up in chunks to help them release their flavor in the cooking process. 

I got to smash the garlic with my knife. It’s always a satisfying step in the cooking process. One clove is in the middle of the bowl of onion to show you, but it looks like butter instead.

It sautéed in a pan of olive oil for a while, the heat slowly enticed the vegetable flavors to release.

Then I added 2 quarts of water and let it come back to a boil, then simmered for 30 minutes.

During this time I was skyping with Katie and the Fam in the kitchen. 

In no time it was time to strain the vegetables so only the good broth was left. I had to buy a new strainer for this occasion because I have not come across a kitchen situation where I needed one.

The results were a luscious, velvety vegetable stock that promised to add depth of flavor to any dish.

I spent no time waiting to add it to something. I still had not eaten dinner, so I poured 2 cups of the stock in a pan to boil. Then I added a cup of my favorite hearty rice mix. After it cooked for a while I added sautéed garlic, shallot, peas, and crimini mushrooms. I had leftover fresh thyme so I added that to the vegetables that were sautéing. It was one of the best bowls of rice I’ve eaten. The veggie stock added a depth of flavor to the rice and I could detect the velvety smoothness as well. The mushrooms gave it a meatiness and the peas finished the dish with a lovely sweetness. I will definitely make this again and I’m sure after Katie reads this she will demand I make it for her when she gets back.

After my marathon meal in the kitchen and skyping adventures, I was exhausted. I found the cats already in the living room relaxing, enjoying the restful energy of the evening. 

Tomorrow’s culinary adventure will take us to Italy. I’m making a meal at my friend’s house. She is also taking me to an Asian grocery store. I've never been and I'm eager to see what will inspire me. Tomorrow’s blog will be a late one. I won’t have to work the next morning, so cocktails will be served with the meal. 

Ta ta till then.

Sarah Jenkins

 "They make it in house...really sets up the flavor for the whole dish."